Improvement in alterable signs



-L. NIELANDEB.

` Alt'elfahle Signs; No. 146,268.

Patented Jlan.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. i

LOUIS NIELANDER, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPRQVEMENT IN ALTERABLE SIGNS.

Specification forming part ol LettersrPatent No. 146,268, dated January6, 1874; application filed December 3, 1873. y

- To all whom it may concern:

and useful Improvement in Alterable Signs;

and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andA exactdescription thereof, which will enable those skilled in the art to makeand use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawingforming part of this specification, in which drawing- Figure 1represents a front view of this invention, partly in section. Fig. 2 isa transverse section of the saine.

Similar letters indicate corresponding parts.

This invention relates to certain improvements in alterable signs,especially in the mode of forming the letters and supporting them inposition; and it consists in the arrangement of letters with L-shapedfeet to iit into clamping-bars provided with grooves for the reception0f the feet, two or more such clampingbars being connected together bychains or otherwise in such a manner that by the combined action of thegrooves in the clampingbars and of the L-shaped feet, each letter isiirmly retained in position, and at the same time, by opening theclamping-bars, the letters can be readily changed and any 'desired `wordor number of words can be produced.

In the drawings, the letters A A A designate `a series of clamping-bars,which are connected together by chains or otherwise, and suspended froma cornice, B, as shown. Each of said clamping-bars consists of twohalves, which are pressed together by screws a, or by any other suitablemeans, and one of said halves is provided with a groove, b, extendingthroughout its whole length, or nearly so. Between the two halves ofeach clamping-bar are inserted one or more letters or other characters.These letters are, by preference, out out of sheet metal, or, ifdesired, they may be cast, and they are provided each with one or twoL-shaped feet, c, the projecting ends of which are made to catch in thegroove b of the clamps A.

B y this arrangement each letter or character is held securely in itsplace, and by remov-` ing the tightening-screws of the clamps the may bestruck up or otherwise produced of sheet metal, or it can be made of anysuitable material in a plain or ornamental shape to suit customers.

Iam aware that the letters of a sign have been supported within ahorizontal groove formed in a supporting-bar or frame, or supported andconlinedbetween two clampingbars; such I disclaim, for in all suchinstances the letters are clamped at bot-h their ends by theclamping-bars, and much care and precision are required in making up asign. to adjust the letters in proper vertical position in respect toeach other, and furtherby connectin g the letters at the top and bottomthe beauty of the sign is materially lessened.

By forming the letters with laterally-projecting feet c, and providing alongitudinal groove, b, in one of the sections of the clamping-baraccording to my invention, as herein` described, the letters can beadjusted in posi` tion with perfect ease, and are supported andprevented from leaving their position in which they are placed, byreason of the groove and the lateral flange or feet.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

An alterable sign consisting of the clamping-bars A, one of which isgrooved, and the removable letters having the L-shaped'projections c,substantially as described.

LOUIS NIELANDER.

Witnesses:

J AMEs EGKER., Jo. G. KLAUss, Jr.

